China honours defence engineer Qian Qihu and radar expert Liu Yongtan in annual science and tech awards
- Octogenarian military scientists receive top prize for their work on ‘underground Great Wall’ and maritime radar system
- Top leaders including Xi Jinping were at the ceremony in Beijing
China gave awards to its top scientists on Tuesday, including a defence engineering expert who helped build an “underground Great Wall” and a scientist who worked on the country’s maritime radar system.
Highlighting the importance of the annual science and technology awards, the ceremony in Beijing was attended by President Xi Jinping and all members of the Politburo Standing Committee – the ruling Communist Party’s most powerful body.
It also came at a sensitive time, with China and the United States locked in an intense technology race.
Premier Li Keqiang told the more than 3,000 scientists and researchers in the audience that China would “step up building the system for [intellectual property rights] creation, protection, application and services, and crack down on IPR infringement”, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Two octogenarian military scientists, Qian Qihu and Liu Yongtan, received the top honour – the supreme science prize – from Xi at the Great Hall of the People.
